Some, orb in orb, around the nymph extend;
Some thrid the mazy ringlets of her hair;
Some hang upon the pendants of her ear.
With beating hearts the dire event they wait,
140 Anxious, and trembling for the birth of Fate.

CANTO III.

CLOSE by those meads, for ever crown'd with flow'rs Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow'rs, There stands a structure of majestic frame, Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its name. 5 Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom Of foreign tyrants, and of nymphs at home; Here thou, great ANNA! whom three realms obey, Dost sometimes counsel take-and sometimes tea. Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort,

10 To taste awhile the pleasures of a court.

In various talk th' instructive hours they past,
Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;
One speaks the glory of the British Queen,
And one describes a charming Indian screen;
15 A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;
At ev'ry word a reputation dies.

Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat,
With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.
Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day,
20 The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray;
The hungry judges soon the sentence sign,
And wretches hang that jury-men may dine;
The merchant from th' Exchange returns in peace,

And the long labors of the toilet cease.

25 Relinda now, whom thirst of fame invites,

Burns to encounter two advent'rous knights,
At Ombre singly to decide their doom;

And swells her breast with conquests yet to come.
Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join,
30 Each band the number of the sacred nine.
Soon as she spreads her hand, th' aërial guard
Descend, and sit on each important card:
First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore,

Then each according to the rank they bore;
35 For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race,
Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place.
Behold four Kings in majesty rever'd,
With hoary whiskers and a forky beard;

And four fair Queens, whose hands sustain a flow'r, 40 Th' expressive emblem of their softer pow'r; Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band, Caps on their heads, and halberds in their hand; And particolor'd troops, a shining train,

45

Drawn forth to combat on the velvet plain.

The skillful nymph reviews her force with care; Let Spades be trumps! she said; and trumps they

were.

Now move to war her sable Matadores,

In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors.
Spadillio first, unconquerable lord!

50 Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board.
As many more Manillio forced to yield,
And march'd a victor from the verdant field.
Him Basto follow'd, but his fate more hard
Gain'd but one trump and one plebeian card.
55 With his broad sabre next, a chief in years,
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears,

Puts forth one manly leg, to sight reveal'd;
The rest his many-color'd robe conceal'd.
The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage,
60 Proves the just victim of his royal rage.

65

Ev'n mighty Pam, that Kings and Queens o'erthrew And mow'd down armies in the fights of Loo, Sad chance of war! now destitute of aid, Falls undistinguish'd by the victor Spade! Thus far both armies to Belinda yield; Now to the Baron fate inclines the field. His warlike amazon her host invades, Th' imperial consort of the crown of Spades. The Club's black tyrant first her victim dy'd, to Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride: What boots the regal circle on his head, His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread, That long behind he trails his pompous robe, And of all monarchs only grasps the globe?

25

The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace;
Th' embroider'd King who shows but half his face,
And his refulgent Queen, with pow'rs combin'd,
Of broken troops an easy conquest find.

Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild disorder seen,
80 With throngs promiscuous strow the level green.
Thus when dispers'd a routed army runs
Of Asia's troops, and Afric's sable sons,
With like confusion different nations fly,
Of various habit, and of various dye;

85 The pierc'd battalions disunited fall,

In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.
The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts,

And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts.

At this the blood the virgin's cheek forsook,
90 A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look;
She sees, and trembles at th' approaching ill,
Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille.

And now (as oft in some distemper'd state) On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate; 95 An ace of Hearts steps forth; The King unseen Lurk'd in her hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen: He springs to vengeance with an eager pace, And falls like thunder on the prostrate Ace. The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky; 100 The walls, the woods, and long canals reply. Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, Too soon dejected, and too soon elate,

105

Sudden these honors shall be snatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this victorious day.

For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd, The berries crackle, and the mill turns round;

On shining altars of Japan they raise

The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze:

From silver spouts the grateful liquors glide, 110 While China's earth receives the smoking tide. At once they gratify their scent and taste, And frequent cups prolong the rich repast. Straight hover round.the Fair her airy band; Some, as she sipp'd, the fuming liquor fann'd, 115 Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd, Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade.

Coffee (which makes the politician wise,

And see thro' all things with his half-shut eyes)
Sent up in vapors to the Baron's brain

120 New stratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.

125

Ah cease, rash youth! desist ere 'tis too late,
Fear the just gods, and think of Scylla's fate!
Chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air,
She dearly pays for Nisus' injur'd hair!

But when to mischief mortals bend their will,
How soon they find fit instruments of ill!
Just then Clarissa drew with tempting grace
A two-edg'd weapon from her shining case;
So ladies in romance assist their knight,
130 Přesent the spear, and arm him for the fight.
He takes the gift with rev'rence, and extends
The little engine on his fingers' ends;

This just behind Belinda's neck he spread,
As o'er the fragrant steams she bends her head.
135 Swift to the Lock a thousand sprites repair;

A thousand wings by turns blow back the hair;
And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear;
Thrice she look'd back, and thrice the foe drew near
Just in that instant, anxious Ariel sought

140 The close recesses of the virgin's thought;
As on the nosegay in her breast reclin'd,
He watch'd th' ideas rising in her mind,
Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art,
An earthly lover lurking at her heart.
145 Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd,
Resign'd to fate, and with a sigh retir'd.

The Peer now spreads the glitt'ring forfex wide,
T'inclose the Lock; now joins it, to divide.
Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd,
150 A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;

Fate urg'd the shears, and cut the Sylph in twain (But airy substance soon unites again):